UD gets $300,000 grant to boost diversity in computer science

The University of Dayton has won a $300,000 grant to improve diversity among students in its computer science program, the school said Thursday.

The funding will be used to train faculty in developing curriculum that engages, and ultimately retains, women and other under-represented students in the field of computer science, said Don Pair, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. It will also fund the creation of a new introductory course and substantially revise two additional courses.

"A strength of this program is the readiness of the entire computer science faculty to rethink their teaching models and curriculum for under-represented students," Pair said. "These three required courses serve as the foundation for computer science education. As such, we expect them to cultivate the enthusiasm and competence needed to succeed in the program and in a career,"

The Association of American Colleges and Universities selected 20 institutions for its TIDES initiative — Teaching to Increase Diversity and Equity in STEM.

The initiative will support curriculum and faculty development activities to develop models for broader institutional change for the advancement of evidence-based and culturally competent teaching in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), particularly in the computer and information science domains.

Computer science is a rapidly growing field of study. Job growth for the next 10 years is expected to be faster than average in many computer science fields like programming, software development and research, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Advanced interactive technology like mobile apps, smartTVs and smartcars are now a part of our everyday lives.

As a result of these trends, interest in UD's computer science program is growing every year, said Mehdi Zargham, chair of the computer science department. Traditional teaching models and industry culture may not engage or connect with the diverse population of students.

Zargham said the new course developed by computer science faculty will be delivered in ways that a student who has no initial background in programming can become engaged and successful.

"We will focus on graphical language and real-life projects," Zargham said. "Students will learn the basics of programming, but we will also involve them in picking projects they enjoy, with our goal being that they will continue in the program."